Visible index device



July 3, 1956 o. K. KING VISIBLE INDEX DEVICE Filed April ll, 1955 w www3 31m. .36mm mE.

Een@ mod. Zr .1.x m ummm ma* A.

00...: :fin I U QHSH .24. In ox United States Patent 2,752,707 VISIBLEINDEX DEVICE Oliver K. King, Tenafly, N. J., assignor to Acme VisibleRecords, Inc., Crozet, Va., a corporation of Delaware Application April11, 1955, Serial No. 500,518 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-102) 'Ihis inventionrelates to improvements in index or record equipment of the classwherein anged frames, panels or trays are adapted to receive flexibleindicia strips.

More specifically, the present invention relates to directory unitscomprising a base or holder, generally adapted to be employed in ahorizontal position, having pivotally mounted in vertically stackedrelationship thereon a plurality of frames of the class indicated.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a unit ofthe class described wherein the respective frames are self-indexing, sothat, as distinguished from prior devices, no separate tabs or indexingmeans for the respective frame contents are necessary.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention I provide a supportingstand comprising a pair of parallel upstanding walls adjacent one end ofa supporting base and a plurality of frames pivotally engaged betweensaid walls, the frames being adapted to replaceably receive tlexibleindicia strips disposed parallel to the hinge line. These frames arepivoted between the side walls in regularly spaced positions so thatwith respect to two adjacent frames, the upper one is rearwardly offsetfrom the lower one a distance equal to that which will expose the lastrecord or indicia strip on the front of the lower frame dexing detail,and for units of this class.

The objects and advantages of the present invention, and

lowing specication and accompanying drawings, where- 1n:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of vention, and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the frames removed from theholder.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are sectional views on the lines 4 4, 5 5 and 6 6,respectively, of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral indicates a supportingbase, which if desired may include nonskid corrugated rubber supportmeans 11, the unit being normally adapted to rest on a horizontalsurface. Secured to and extending vertically from one end of base 14)are a spaced, parallel 12 12 integral with the rear end wall 13, thelatter termithe device of the present inof their contents, as shown bythe dotted position in Fig. 2.

The side walls 12 12 are adapted to swingably receive and engage theframes 15 by hinge means such as the rods 16 secured within the bead 17on the upper edge of frame 15, the projecting ends of said rods beingreceivable in the apertures 19 formed in the upstanding ice side walls12. These apertures 19 are regularly spaced on an incline from adjacentthe base 10 and forwardly of the rear wall 13, upwardly and rearwardlyto adjacent rear wall 13 so that the adjacent panels can normally liestacked in plane parallel relationship to each other and to the base 10by virtue of the vertical spacing of apertures 19, and so that the lastindicia strip 20 on the front of each frame 15 will be visible andunobscured by an upper adjacent frame by virtue of the horizontalspacing of apertures 19, which thus maintains the frames in regularlongitudinally offset relationship to each other, as shown in Figs. 1and 2.

The component frames 15 may be formed of a pair of plates 2.1 21 ofequal extent, each having return-bent longitudinal edges to dei-ine theflanges 22 22 spaced from the surfaces of the plate for reception of theends of an indicia or index strip 20, these strips conventionally beingflexible so that they may be foreshortened and snapped into position, asshown in Fig. 3. In the illustration, the two plates 21 21 are joinedback-to-back at one transverse end by means of the U-shaped strip orclamp 23 which closely grips the opposed faces of plates 21 21 and formsan abutment for the mounted strips 20.

At the opposed transverse end the plates 2]; 21 are another U-shapedstrip 24 ceiving and embracing the rod 16, the opposed legs of the stripbeing bent to lie flush with the plates 21 21 to further ferm abutmentsat the heads of the plates or composite frame for mounted strips 20.

As will be seen from Fig. 1, the frames, with the mounted strips 20extending parallel to the hinge rod 16, when swingably mounted betweenthe upstanding walls 12 12, are stepped or progressively offset fromeach other, so that when a frame is completely lilled with strips 20,the last one, i. e., the one in abutment with strip 23 on the upper faceof the frame, remains visible and provides a self-indexing means for thecontents of the panel without requirement of tabs, label changing, orother indexing detail.

In a typical use the unit may comprise, for example, 7 or 13 frames, thestrips 20 having typed thereon names followed by telephone numbers.These strips are arranged alphabetically on the frames,

struction, without departing trom the spirit ot my lnvention and itsunique and time-saving self-indexing feature.

I claim:

including opposed pair of longitudinally extending ilanges deiiningtrough-shaped recesses for reception of the ends of flexible indexstrips and opposed transversely extending abutment members for limitingmovement of engaged index strips longitudinally of said panel, aplurality-of index strips mounted on and filling the confines of saidpanel, said panels being normally disposed on said base invertically-stacked plane-parallel stepped relationship exposing anengaged index strip lodged against the abutment member at one transverseend of the upper face of a panel free of concealment b y the end of anupper adjacent panel, andlaterally projecting rod means carried bytheopposed transverse ends of said panels in pivotal engagement with saidside walls retaining said panels in 10 swingable engagement therewith.

References Cited in tbe rile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSCornish May 21, Rand Aug. 6, McCauley Oct. 30, Gobberdiel Oct. 23,Larson Feb. 21, Hopkins Dec. 9, Conley et al. Nov. 11,

